Shamir Martinez heard the screaming from the bodega and rushed to his living room window to see two men struggling inside the store.

"He was swinging … just swinging it, kept on swinging trying to catch him … and the guy's falling and falling and he's protecting himself," Martinez said. "That's about it and all you hear a lot of screaming."

Johan Martes, 47, is the alleged machete man. Police tell CBS 2 HD the robber he hacked had a handgun that was knocked from his hand with the first blow of the big blade.

The store has a history of being targeted by crooks.

"The place was robbed twice last summer, somebody got shot. I think a bullet grazed his head," neighbor Peter Carbonera said. "Then this guy bought it. This guy's always getting held up and he's had enough and he was ready for it. I don't blame him."